Some vehicle powertrains have the capability to selectively shut down the engine whenever the vehicle is stopped in order to minimize idle fuel consumption. Such functionality is commonly referred to as “autostop/autostart”, and is widely present in hybrid vehicles, although it is not limited to such powertrains. Control of the vehicle transmission during engine restart and vehicle launch typically occurs via shift algorithms programmed within a transmission controller, which may be stand alone or distributed within a larger vehicle control architecture.
A dual-clutch transmission (DCT) is an automated, manual-like transmission having a gearbox with two independently-operated torque transfer mechanisms or clutches. Associated electronic and hydraulic clutch control devices control the shift operation of the DCT. In a DCT, one input clutch controls the oddly-numbered gears, e.g., first, third, fifth, and reverse in a 7-speed transmission, while another input clutch controls the evenly-numbered gears, e.g., second, fourth, and sixth in the same 7-speed transmission. Using this arrangement, the gears of a DCT can be shifted without totally interrupting power flow from the engine.